Page 53 of Bound

“You guys went all out,” Topher said between bites of homemade potato salad. “The West Caldwell fast food extravaganza.”

“If you’re gonna have a war council, why not do it in style?” Dallas draped an arm around my shoulders. “Flame-grilled dogs and burgers. Gourmet pasta salad with organic tomatoes. A nice Cesar with homemade croutons. Every topping you can imagine. Fried onions, blue cheese, crisp apple bacon, avocado and gouda I slow smoked myself on the grill. It’s not every day my kid brother turns twenty-six. Happy birthday, West.”

Brody whistled. Major barked, making a mad dive for the buffet table, only to be swiftly intercepted by River, who may or may not have slipped him a special Major-sized mini-cheeseburger when Brody wasn’t looking.

And in the midst of all the chaos, Topher leaned in to murmur in my ear, “Is your family always this crazy?”

“Please. This is nothing. You remember back on Valentine’s Day when thirty pounds of beef ribs wired into the shape of a heart showed up outside Blair’s Bakery?”

Topher bit back a grin. “The guys still talk about that one whenever we order in food from The Spoke. No one seems to agree on how big the fire actually got, though.”

“Nah, they mostly had the flames out before the fire department got there. Pretty sure it was supposed to be a ceremonial love torch gently toasting the ribs from below, but you know Dallas. He never does anything small time. I’ve already been informed that in my position as this baby’s only sane uncle—"

Topher coughed. “A subject we’re definitely coming back to, by the way.”

“—my job is to make sure no one brings anything to the hospital but flowers.”

He hooked a finger through my belt loop, tugging me over to one of the barstools. Once the rest of my brothers were seated in front of plates of food, Brody called the meeting to order.

“You all know why we’re here. Let’s go around the room. West, what’s the latest on Kieran?”

“Vlad still wants to meet,” I said. “And we’re running out of time.”

Brody followed the pointed look I’d shot across the room. “River, what’s the story?”

“I don’t like this any better than you do.” My youngest brother rubbed his temples. “For the past six months, I’ve been leading a team that’s been tracking shapeshifter disappearances across four states. Every time, we’re hours too late, one step behind. We were so close to Vlad that night in the club, but he must have gotten spooked.”

“And you’re telling me you couldn’t read him that night? Get some clue as to Kieran’s location?”

“He’s a vampire. Forcing my way into his head could wipe his mind completely. And before you ask, I’ve gone five rounds on this with Guillermo. He’s not budging. He believes the minute we agree to negotiate on Vlad’s terms, we open the floodgates to every terrorist organization, vamp, human and shifter, who want to blackmail the Council.”

I exchanged a look with Topher, who was radiating a black wall of energy through our bond so toxic it was starting to pulse. “Okay, but it’s worth pointing out that Vlad didn’t kidnap Kieran. He’s just offering to retrieve him for us.”

River shot me a hard look. “Please don’t tell me you actually fell for that line. Vlad can’t be trusted. You’d be wise to keep that in mind any time he starts waxing poetic about his revolution and how he intends to unite vampires and shifters in the coming war against humans.”

“He saved our asses the other night out at the quarry,” August pointed out, ever the voice of reason.

“He bought your trust. Vlad may very well be the most dangerous vampire alive, far more of a threat than Zara because where she rules by brute force and intimidation, he’s young, charismatic, and exactly the sort of leader people want to follow. He’s amassing power, and if he learns that taking our people is our breaking point, that we’ll give in every time, he’ll use that against us. I’m with Guillermo on this. We have to meet strength with strength. If his people were serious about helping us, why not go in and extract Kieran, prove they have the capability to get into the compound where they claim he’s being kept, make a gesture of good faith?”

“You’re telling me if the fang-heads showed up on our doorstep at nightfall with my brother in hand, you’d be prepared to deal?” Topher’s voice was hard. “Because somehow I doubt that.”

“There are things you don’t know about Vlad,” River countered. “We have every reason to believe he may still be aligned with Zara.”

“You think he’s a double agent?”

“The resistance has a long and fractured history. They’ve tried to rise up against the aristocracy countless times before. Vlad may be a plant waiting for the perfect moment to crush the insurrection against the Vampire Nation and assume his place as its leader.”

Beside me, Topher rubbed his temples, and I wondered if a memory was resurfacing. But he said nothing.

Naomi pushed away from the wall, eyes flashing with anger. “Vlad may be in this for the sake of his own people, not ours, but our interests align. Zara is building an army of varewolves. She’s having her vampires force themselves on shifter women held in captivity and drugging them with Eclipse in order to sustain the pregnancies. I don’t care what it costs or what moral principles we have to compromise. We go in there and get them the hell out.”

Across the room, Hayden and Lacey silently nodded.

A beat passed. And then Brody said, “I assume the Council has confirmation on this?”

River shook his head. “We’re working on it. Our source isn’t currently talking.”

“How the hell can you guys still be in the dark on this?”